Rock Island daily Argus., 1887-04-15
LINCOLN'S SACRED DUST.
HOW THE MARTYR PRESIDENTS RE-
MAINS WERE CONCEALED

From the Sacrilegious Hands of Grave
Robbers-The Attempt in 1875 to Steal
the Body and Its Frustration-where
the Casket Was Hidden, and Where II
Now Lies-Whitman's Lecture.
SPRINGFIELD, nls., April 15-The remains
of the late President Lincoln and Mrs. Lin
coin were removed, exposed and identified
Thursday and turned over to the Monument
association by the Lincoln guard of honor.
On the night Of Nov. z, 1876, Mullin and
Hughes, two Chicago thieves, made an un-
successful attempt to steal the body Of the
late President Lincoln. The marble sarco-
phagus in which it was enclosed, and which
was exposed to the view of visitors through
the iron grating on the north side OF the
monument was forced open and the coffin
taken out, but at this point the robbers were
interfered with by certain persons secreted
in the monument, who had received inform
alton that the robbery was to be attempted
Since that time the public mind has been in
state Of uncertainty as to the real resting
place Of the martyrs body, report having
gone out that it was not returned to the sar-
cophagus after the attempted robbery.
All the mystery that has attached to the
matter is now cleared away. 1t appears that
the body was replaced in the sarcophagus
and remained there for about week. The
members Of the association, however, felt
that it was insecure, and 1t was subsequently
removed to a place of greater safety. Finally
the Lincoln guard of honor, which is COM
posed of some of the best known and most
highly respected citizens of Springfield, was
organized, and one of the duties of this asso-
citation has been to sacredly guard the body
of the dead president.
During the month of November, 1873 the
members of the guard, with their own hands,
prepared vault within the monument for
the body. An excavation was made in the
earth about thirty feet south of the saFco-
phagus, and the body was safely deposited
therein and the mouth of the excav alton
closed. The atmosphere at the point where
the excavation was made was almosts tIfilng
and the work was prosecuted at
different times during the stiffness of the
night, with no human eye to witness it, save
those who were assisting in the labor of love.
Two days after the funeral of Mrs Lincoln,
in July 1882, her body was taken by the
guard and laid beside that of her husband.
The members bound themselves by The SOL
emnity of an oath not to reveal what had
been done until the proper time, and that
time has now arrived.
Thursday both of the bodies were taken
by the Lincoln guard of honor in the pres
ence of the Monument association, aud
placed in a new receptacle prepared for
them. This receptacle is in the earth, near
where the sarcophagus has long stood 1t
has on the bottom twelve inches Of cement,
and has doubl, walls of brick. The entrance
to it. now that the tolies have been placed
in their final resting pace, is cemented over,
and this Will in time become as solid as
rock
After this work had been completed the
bodies were formally turned over by the
| guard to the Monument association, and ac-
cepted by it. Before being finally entombed
the body of Lincoln was exposed and iienti-
| fed Tue hair and beard have fallen off ami
the face is discolored, but the contour is still
| perfect and the face is said to strongly re-
semble that of the bronze statue on the
monument